1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to footwear and in particular to an article of footwear configured to be worn during water sports, especially canoeing.
2. Description of Related Art
Articles of footwear for use in water sports have been previously proposed. Greene et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,802,703) teaches an article of footwear for sand sports. Greene teaches a mid-foot wrap that includes a first portion that extends across the instep of an upper and over an outsole. A second portion of the wrap extends around the rear of the upper and above the heel and below the ankle. Greene further teaches a strap associated with the wrap that has a first end that is secured to the wrap at a medial side. The strap of the Greene design extends across an instep of the upper to a lateral side. A fastener secures the strap to the wrap.
Moore (U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,592) teaches a performance water boot. The Moore design includes a water boot having an adjustable strap that crosses an upper between the instep region and the collar region of the boot. Moore teaches a heel cup that is designed to cooperate with the adjustable strap in order to seal off the heel and ankle regions of the upper. Moore teaches this arrangement to prevent water from entering the instep region and causing the foot to move within the boot.
Moore and Greene teach provisions for providing additional stability to multiple regions of a foot, including a lower region.